Abstract
Aspergillus has become an airborne fungal pathogen and causes invasive pulmonary aspergillosis to immunocompromised patients. Since outbreaks of this pathogen at hospital have been associated with construction of the hospital, immunocompromised patients should be protected from this infection during construction. At our hospital, where many immunocompromised patients are admitted, construction work was undertaken in June 2006. We established a multidisciplinary team that includes infection control staff, hematologists, and supervisers ofthe ward, and employed proactive measures. After discussing infection control measures relevant to construction of our ward, our team recommended constructing of barriers to prevent dust from flying in all directions. To measure floating fungal pathogens, we collected dust in the air. One day after completion of the construction, Aspergillus was detected no more in the air sample. Furthermore, no outbreak of aspergillosis occurred. Our method for prevention of aspergillosis during ward construction is convenient and effective.
